Safe injection sites: where Mass. gov hopefuls stand

Also: What we know about the new bird flu outbreak; tips for allergy season [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  April 6, 2022 🌧️ Rainy, with some patchy fog and a high near 48. Good Morning Boston, If you’re reading this right now, I’m going to go out on a limb and say this newsletter has become part of your daily routine. Well, today is the beginning of WBUR's spring fundraiser — and we're [asking for contributions that reflect how important our work is to you.]( It doesn’t take a lot. Seriously, [a gift in any amount]( has a big impact, if you're able. Thanks, as always, for reading and for supporting independent journalism! Now, onto the news: - Could a new governor mean a new stance on supervised injection sites in Massachusetts? Attorney General (and Democratic gubernatorial candidate) Maura Healey [told reporters]( Tuesday that she supports such facilities as part of a "harm reduction" approach. "Safe injection sites are part of that," Healey said. - Catch me up: These are sites where people dealing with addiction can [more safely]( use illegal drugs, like heroin, under the supervision of trained staff. Also known as an "overdose prevention site," such facilities go back decades in other countries, but are only allowed in [a few states and cities in the U.S](. - It's an issue that doesn't necessarily cut down party lines in the race for governor. Fellow Dem gubernatorial hopeful state Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz's campaign did not respond to requests for comment. Republican candidate Geoff Diehl has said he's [open to safe injection sites]( while fellow GOP hopeful Chris Doughty is opposed. Doughty told me that he supports "evidence based solutions" to addiction, such as increasing access to treatment, but said he was "not willing to give up on people by just making it easier for access." He added that "safe injection sites are a stress on local communities and neighborhoods." - That has also been the position of outgoing Gov. Charlie Baker, who has [questioned the evidence showing that supervised injection sites lead to reduced overdoses](. - What's next? While the candidates hash it out, Somerville has been [moving closer to opening the state's first supervised injection site](. - Healey's comments on supervised injection sites came during a press conference announcing that [the $526 million settlement]( Massachusetts is getting from four opioid manufacturers will be split roughly 60/40 between the state government and individual cities and towns. - While officials didn't get too deep into specifics, they said the money will be devoted to overdose prevention and addiction treatment efforts. State House News Service [has more here](. - Could there be more money on the way? Healey said the recent settlement is "not enough" but was the maximum the state could get from these four companies. She added, however, that there "are two or three more in the hopper." - Two freshman at Harvard have[created a website]( to connect Ukrainian refugees with those willing to take them in. And so far, more than 18,000 prospective hosts have signed up. - Heads up, college grads: President Joe Biden's administration is [expected to (again) extend the pause on student loan payments]( beyond the current May 1 expiration date until Aug. 31. - Spring isn't the only thing in the air. There's also pollen. However, WBUR's Jack Mitchell spoke to a local doctor about how to make allergy season more tolerable: - Keep your windows closed as much as possible. - Wash your face — and maybe even switch clothes — when you come inside. - Use an air conditioner to make the air less humid. - The bad news: Just like [tick season]( researchers expect allergy to arrive earlier and get longer due to climate change. P.S.— Boston Calling organizers are [teasing an announcement today at noon](. Could it be a new headliner, after Foo Fighters [canceled their tour following the death of drummer Taylor Hawkins]( We will see. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [What we know about the deadliest U.S. bird flu outbreak in 7 years]( Nearly 23 million birds have died as a highly pathogenic bird flu virus tears its way through farms and chicken yards. It has spread to at least 24 states in less than two months. [Read more.]( [What we know about the deadliest U.S. bird flu outbreak in 7 years]( Nearly 23 million birds have died as a highly pathogenic bird flu virus tears its way through farms and chicken yards. It has spread to at least 24 states in less than two months. [Read more.]( [Man's wrongful conviction in Mass. overturned decades after juror made antisemitic remarks in case]( About 40 years ago, Barry Jacobsen was sentenced to six months in prison and ordered to pay a $10,000 fine after he was wrongfully convicted of arson. [Read more.]( [Man's wrongful conviction in Mass. overturned decades after juror made antisemitic remarks in case]( About 40 years ago, Barry Jacobsen was sentenced to six months in prison and ordered to pay a $10,000 fine after he was wrongfully convicted of arson. [Read more.]( [Zelenskyy urges U.N. Security Council to boot Russia or dissolve for the world's sake]( The Ukrainian president described the horrific scenes he saw in Bucha, calling it just one example of the destruction Russia has wrought. He urged the Security Council to hold Russia accountable. [Read more.]( [Zelenskyy urges U.N. Security Council to boot Russia or dissolve for the world's sake]( The Ukrainian president described the horrific scenes he saw in Bucha, calling it just one example of the destruction Russia has wrought. He urged the Security Council to hold Russia accountable. [Read more.]( [Charging Putin for potential war crimes is difficult, and any penalty hard to enforce]( Neither Russia nor its president is likely to face an international tribunal — but that's not the only approach to war crimes, experts say. [Read more.]( [Charging Putin for potential war crimes is difficult, and any penalty hard to enforce]( Neither Russia nor its president is likely to face an international tribunal — but that's not the only approach to war crimes, experts say. [Read more.]( [After the Sacramento shooting, the state with the most gun laws may soon get more]( The shooting in Sacramento that left six people dead over the weekend has prompted urgent calls across the state for more gun control. The question is, how much further can California go? [Read more.]( [After the Sacramento shooting, the state with the most gun laws may soon get more]( The shooting in Sacramento that left six people dead over the weekend has prompted urgent calls across the state for more gun control. The question is, how much further can California go? [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Radio Boston spoke to Kowloon co-owner Bobby Wong about [the changes his family has planned for their iconic Saugus restaurant]( as well as the evolving landscape of Route 1. - Are you a fan of classical music? Lloyd Schwartz is. Here are [the 10 Boston classical concerts he's especially excited about this spring](. - Meanwhile at the BSO, director Andris Nelsons has made the historic orchestra fluent in contemporary music this season, [writes WBUR critic-at-large Ed Siegel](. - Here's how an aimless dog, a "Do Not Eat" sign and a ripped bumper sticker [helped Cognoscenti contributor Elissa Ely find her way back to empathy](. What We're Reading 📚 - The Mystifying Rise of Child Suicide ([The New Yorker]( - Opinion | ‘I Didn’t Feel Like Going, but I’m Glad I Did’: My Motto of the Moment ([The New York Times]( - The End of Mom Guilt ([The Atlantic]( Tell Me Something Good [2 missing Charles Darwin notebooks are mysteriously returned more than 20 years later]( The iconic notebooks were anonymously returned to the Cambridge University Library, along with a note that simply said "Happy Easter." [Read more.]( [2 missing Charles Darwin notebooks are mysteriously returned more than 20 years later]( The iconic notebooks were anonymously returned to the Cambridge University Library, along with a note that simply said "Happy Easter." [Read more.]( Before you go: I guess we'll have to keep [waiting for that monorail to the Seaport.]( 😎 Forward to a friend. 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